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Pamplona
Pamplona is a small, developing, and young nation at 27 days old with citizens primarily of Spanish ethnicity whose religion is Taoism. It is a backwards nation when it comes to technology and many refer to it unkindly as a 'Third World Nation'. Its citizens pay extremely high taxes and many despise their government as a result. The citizens of Pamplona work diligently to produce Cattle and Uranium as tradable resources for their nation. The government has no definite position on foreign affairs at this time. When it comes to nuclear weapons Pamplona has no definite position and is therefore considered opposed to them. Pamplona has no definite position on drug use in the country at this time. Pamplona has no definite position on domestic issues concerning government protests in the country at this time. It has no definite position on new immigration. Pamplona has no definite position on free speech. Pamplona has no definite foreign aid at this time. Pamplona has no definite position on trade relations. History of Navarre Overview Taken from Wikipedia During the time of the Roman Empire, the territory of the province was inhabited by the Vascones, a pre-Roman tribe who inhabited the southern slopes of the Pyrenees. The tribe managed to keep its Basque language and traditions under the Romans. The area was never fully subjugated, either by the Visigoths or by the Arabs. In 778 a Frankish army was defeated by the Basques in the Battle of Roncevaux Pass. In 824 the chieftain Iñigo Arista (also Eneko Aritza) was chosen king of Pamplona which laid the foundations of the Kingdom of Navarre. The kingdom reached its zenith during the reign of Sancho III of Navarre and covered the areas of the present-day Navarre, Basque Country, La Rioja, and parts of Cantabria, Castilla y Leon and Aragon. However, after his death the country was divided between his sons and never fully recovered. The army of Navarre took part in the decisive battle of Las Navas de Tolosa alongside the other christian Spanish kingdoms in 1212 after which the Muslim possessions in the Iberian Peninsula were reduced to a small territory in the south. Navarre was finally absorbed into the united Spanish Kingdom in 1513 and a small area to the north of the Pyrenees eventually became part of France. The former state obtained some specific rights after its incorporation in united Spain. The northern side was also part of the French empire until Louis XVI (King of France and Navarre) was executed and the kingdom was merged into France. The Kingdom of Navarre (Spanish: Reino de Navarra, Basque: Nafarroako Erresuma) was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean. Though the details are largely legendary, the Kingdom of Pamplona, later renamed as Navarre, evolved from the county of Pamplona, its traditional capital, when the leader Íñigo I of Pamplona (Basque: Eneko Haritza, Spanish: Iñigo Arista or Aiza) was chosen King in Pamplona (traditionally in 824) and led a local revolt against the Franks. The southern part of the kingdom was absorbed by the Kingdom of Castile in 1513, and thus became part of the unified Kingdom of Spain. The northern part of the kingdom remained independent, but it was joined with France in a personal union in 1589 when King Henry III of Navarre inherited the French throne as Henry IV of France, and in 1620 it was merged into the Kingdom of France. Early history The kingdom of Pamplona and then Navarre formed part of the traditional territory of the Vascones, a pre-Roman tribe; who occupied the southern slope of the western Pyrenees and part of the shore of the Bay of Biscay.The area was completely conquered by the Romans by 74 BC. First part of the Roman province of Citerior, then of the Tarraconensis province and after that of the conventus Caesaraugustanus. Rome left a clear mark in the area in the urbanization, the language, the infrastructure, commerce and industry. After the decline of the Western Roman Empire neither the Visigoths nor the Arabs ever succeeded in permanently occupying the Western Pyrenees. The western Pyrenees passages were the only ones allowing good transit through the mountains, other than those on the Southern Pyrenees. That made the region strategically important early in its history. The Franks under Charlemagne extended their influence and control towards the south, occupying several regions of the north and east of the Iberian Peninsula. It's not clear how solid was the Frankish control over Pamplona. In August 15 778, after the retreating Charlemagne had demolished the walls of Pamplona, the Basque tribes annihilated his rearguard, led by Roland, in a confrontation at a mountain passage known to history as the Battle of Roncevaux Pass. In 806 and 812 Pamplona fell again into the Franks' hands. When, however, the Frankish emperors, on account of difficulties at home, were no longer able to give their attention to the outlying borderlands of their empire, the country, little by little, entirely withdrew from their allegiance, and about this time began the formation of a Vasconic dynasty which soon became very powerful. In 824 the Basque chieftain Iñigo Arista was chosen king of Pamplona, which was expanded under his successors and became known as the kingdom of Navarre. The choice of the Pamplonese now fell to kinsman Sancho I Garcés (905–25), who fought against the Moors with repeated success and joined Ultra-Puertos, or Basse-Navarre, to his own dominions, also extending its territory as far as Nájera. As a thanksgiving for his victories, he founded, in 924, the convent of Albelda. Before his death, all Moors had been driven from the country. His successor, Garcia Sanchez (925–70), who had the support of his energetic and diplomatic mother Toda (Teuda) Aznárez of the royal branch of Larraun, likewise engaged in a number of conflicts with the Moors. In the year 905 a Leonese chronicle mentions the extension of the Kingdom of Pamplona for the first time, being clear that it extended then to Nájera and Arba (arguably Araba), what for some implies that it included the Western Basque Country as well: In era DCCCCXLIIII surrexit in Panpilona rex nomine Sancio Garseanis. Fidei Xpi inseparabiliterque uenerantissimus fuit, pius in omnibus fidefibus misericorsque oppressis catholicis. Quid multa? In omnibus operibus obtimus perstitit. Belligerator aduersus gentes Ysmaelitarum multipficiter strages gessit super Sarrazenos. Idem cepit per Cantabriam a Nagerense urbe usque ad Tutelam omnia castra. Terram quidem Degensem cum opidis cunctam possideuit. Arbam namque Panpilonensem suo iuri subdidit, necnon cum castris omne territorium Aragonense capit. Dehinc expulsis omnibus biotenatis XX' regni sue anno migrauit a seculo. Sepultus sancti Stefani portico regnat cum Xpo in polo (Obiit Sancio Garseanis era DCCCCLXIIII (A marg.).Crónica Albeldense (CSIC) In the Er] 944 AD 905 arose in Pamplona a king named Sancio Garseanis. He was a man of unbreakable devotion to the faith of Christ, pious with all the faithful and merciful with oppressed Catholics. What more? In all his actions he performed as a great warrior against the people of the Ismailites; he inflicted multiple disasters on the Saracens. This same captured all the fortified places in the Cantabria, from the city of Nájera to Tudela. Indeed he possessed all the land of Degium Monjardín, near Lizarra with its towns. The "Arba" of Pamplona he submitted to his law, and conquered as well all the country of Aragon then Jaca and nearby lands with its fortresses. Later, after suppressing all infidels, the twentieth year of his reign he left this world. Buried in the portal of Saint Stephen Monjardín, he reigns with Christ in Heaven (King Sancho Garcés died in the era 964. Earliest historic period Garcia Sanchez's son, Sancho II Garces, nicknamed Abarca, ruled as king of Pamplona and count of Aragon from 970 to 994. The valley of Aragon he had inherited from his mother. The Historia General de Navarra by Jaime del Burgo says that on the occasion of the donation of the villa of Alastue by the king of Pamplona to the monastery of San Juan de la Peña in 987, he styled himself "King of Navarre," the first time that title had been used. In many places he appears as the first King of Navarre and in others the third; however, he was at least the sixth king of Pamplona, and possibly the ninth. Under Sancho and his immediate successors, Pamplona reached the height of its power and extent. Sancho III the Great (reigned 1000–35) married the heiress of the county of Castile. The realm reached its zenith under him: he ruled over Pamplona, Castile and Aragon, exerting protectorate also over Leon and Gascony. Under the sway of Sancho el Mayor, the country attained the greatest prosperity in its history. He seized the country of the Pisuerga and the Cea, which belonged to the Kingdom of Leon, conquered Castile, and ruled the north of Iberia from the boundaries of Galicia to those of the count of Barcelona. Division of Navarre At its greatest extent the Kingdom of Navarre included all the modern Spanish province; the northern slope of the western Pyrenees called by the Spaniards the ultra puertos ("country beyond the mountain passes") or French Navarre; the Basque provinces of Spain and France; the Bureba, the valley between the Basque mountains and the Montes de Oca to the north of Burgos; the Rioja and Tarazona in the upper valley of the Ebro. On his death, Sancho divided his possessions among his four sons. Sancho the Great's realm was never again united (until Ferdinand the Catholic): Castile was permanently joined to Leon, whereas Aragon enlarged its territory, joining Catalonia through a marriage. Of Sancho's sons, Garcia of Najera inherited the Kingdom of Pamplona, from the proximity of Burgos and Santander to the border with Aragon; Castile and the lands between the Pisuerga and the Cea went to the eldest, Fernando; to Gonzalo were given Sobrarbe and Ribagorza; the County of Aragon was allotted to the bastard son Ramiro. The realm was divided thus once more, into Navarre, Aragón, and Castile. The eldest legitimate son, Ferdinand I was the first Castilian monarch to use the title of King and he enlarged his realm by various means (see Kingdom of Castile). The bastard son of Sancho III, Ramiro de Aragon, founded the Navarrese line of Aragon. Garcia of Najera, the younger legitimate son of Sancho III, was therefore the legitimate King of Pamplona. But he was soon challenged by his brothers, leading to the first partition of the kingdom after his death in the Battle of Atapuerca, in 1054. Ecclesiastical affairs In this period of independence, the ecclesiastical affairs of the country reached a high state of development. Sancho the Great was brought up at Leyra, which was also for a short time the capital of the Diocese of Pamplona. Beside this see, there existed the Bishopric of Oca, which was united in 1079 to that of Burgos. In 1035 Sancho the Great re-established the See of Palencia, which had been laid waste at the time of the Moorish invasion. When, in 1045, the city of Calahorra was wrested from the Moors, under whose dominion it had been for more than three hundred years, a see was also founded here, which in the same year absorbed that of Najera and, in 1088, that of Alava, the jurisdiction of which covered about the same ground as that of the present diocese of Vitoria. To Sancho the Great, also, the See of Pamplona owed its re-establishment, the king having, for this purpose, convoked a synod at Leyra in 1022 and one at Pamplona in 1023. These synods likewise instituted a reform of ecclesiastical life with the above-named convent, as a centre. Navarre's dismemberment First partition Garcia V (1035–54) soon found himself struggling against his brothers, specially ambitious Ferdinand of Castile. He died fighting against him in Atapuerca, near Burgos, then the border of Pamplona. He was succeeded by Sancho IV (1054–76) of Peñalén, who was murdered by his brothers. This crime caused a dynastic crisis that the Castilian and Aragonese monarchs used to their benefit. The royal title was transferred to the Aragonese line but Castile swiftly annexed two thirds of the realm from the historical border of the Atapuerca-Santander line to a vague partition-line at the Ega valley, near Estella. It is in this period of Aragonese domination that the name of Navarre first appears historically, referring initially to a county that comprised only the central part of modern Navarre. The three Aragonese rulers, Sancho Ramirez (1076–94) and his son Pedro Sanchez (1094–104) conquered Huesca; Alfonso "the Fighter", 1104–34, brother of Pedro Sanchez, secured for the country its greatest territorial expansion. He wrested Tudela from the Moors (1114), re-conquered the entire country of Bureba, which Navarre had lost in 1042, and advanced into the current Province of Burgos; in addition, Roja, Najera, Logroño, Calahorra, and Alfaro were subject to him. He also annexed Labourd, with its strategic port of Bayonne, but lost its coastal half to the English soon after. The remainder was since then part of Navarre and eventually came to be known as Lower Navarre. Restoration This status quo stood for two decades until Alfonso the Battler, dying without heirs, decided to give his realm away to the military orders, particularly the Templars. This decision was rejected by the courts (parliaments) of both Aragon and Navarre, who then chose separate kings. García VI Ramírez, known as the Restorer, is the first King of Navarre to use such a title. He was Lord of Monzon, a grandson of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, El Cid, and a descendant by illegitimate line of Garcia V of Navarre, a son of Sancho the Great. He and his son Sancho the Wise fought bitterly against Castile (and sometimes also against Aragon) for the recovery of the historic Pamplonese territory. In 1177, the dispute was submitted to arbitration by the English King Henry II. The Navarrese based their claims on the proven will of the locals and history, the Castilians on their merits as crusaders. The English decision was Solomonic, giving to each side what they actually controlled militarily at the time: to Navarre: Alava, Biscay and Guipuscoa. To Castile: La Rioja and the other western lands. Although the arbitration decision was ignored for two years, in 1179 the contending kings finally agreed to a peace on the same terms. Sancho Garcia, known as Sancho VI "the Wise" (1150–94), a patron of learning, as well as an accomplished statesman, fortified Navarre within and without, granted charters (fueros) to a number of towns, and was never defeated in battle. The rich dowry of Berengaria, the daughter of Sancho VI the Wise and Blanche of Castile, made her a desirable catch for Richard I of England. His aged mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, crossed the Pyrenean passes to escort Berengaria to Sicily, eventually to wed Richard in Cyprus, May 12, 1191. She is the only Queen of England who never set foot in England. The reign of Sancho the Wise's successor, the last king of the male line of Sancho the Great and of kings of Pamplona, king Sancho VII the Strong (Sancho el Fuerte) (1194–234), was more troubled. He appropriated the revenues of churches and convents, granting them instead important privileges; in 1198 he presented to the See of Pamplona his palaces and possessions in that city, this gift being confirmed by Pope Innocent III on 29 January 1199. Second partition However, in 1199 Alfonso VIII of Castile, determined to own coastal Navarre, a strategic region that would allow Castile much easier access to European wool markets and would isolate Navarre as well, launched a massive expedition, while Sancho the Strong was on an international diplomatic voyage to Tlemcen (modern Algeria). The cities of Vitoria and Treviño resisted the Castilian assault but the Bishop of Pamplona was sent to inform them that no reinforcements would arrive. Vitoria then surrendered but Treviño did not, having to be conquered by force of arms. By 1200 the conquest of Western Navarre was complete. Castile granted to the fragments of this territory (exceptions: Treviño, Oñati, directly ruled from Castile) the right of self-rule, based on their traditional customs (Navarrese right), that came to be known as fueros. Alava was made a county, Biscay lordship and Guipuscoa just provinces. The late reign of Sancho the Strong The greatest glory of Sancho el Fuerte was the part he took in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212), where, through his valour, the victory of the allied Christians over the Calif En-Nasir was made decisive. He retired and died in el Encerrado. His elder sister Berengaria, Queen of England, had died some years earlier childless. His deceased younger sister Blanca, countess of Champagne, had left a son, Theobald IV of Champagne. Thus the Kingdom of Navarre, though the crown yet was claimed by the kings of Aragon, passed by marriage to the House of Champagne, firstly to the heirs of Blanca, who simultaneously were counts of Champagne and Brie, with the support of the Navarrese Parliament (Cortes). Navarre in the High Middle Ages Thibault, as Teobaldo I, from 1234 to 1253, made of his Court a centre where the poetry of the Troubadours that had developed at the court of the counts of Champagne was welcomed and fostered; his reign was peaceful. His son, Theobald II of Navarre (1253–70), married Isabel, the second daughter of Louis IX of France and accompanied his saintly father-in-law upon his crusade to Tunis. On the homeward journey, he died at Trapani in Sicily, and was succeeded by his brother, Henry I of Navarre, who had already assumed the reins of government during his absence, but reigned only three years (1271–74). His daughter Joanna I of Navarre not yet being of age, the country was once more invaded from all sides, and the queen mother, Blanca, with her daughter sought refuge at the court of Philip the Bold of France, whose son, Philip the Fair, had become engaged to the daughter and married Joanna in 1284. In 1276, at the time of the negotiations for this marriage, Navarre effectively passed into French control. In 1305, Navarre passed to the guardianship of King Philip IV of France. It stayed with the French crown until the death of Charles IV of France at 1328. As Charles died without male issue, when Philip of Valois became king of France, the Navarrese declared themselves independent and called to the throne Joanna II, daughter of Louis Hutin and senior niece of Charles, and her husband Philip of Evreux (reigned 1328–43), called Philip the Wise. Joanna waived all claim to the throne of France and accepted as compensation for the counties of Champagne and Brie those of Angoulême, Longueville, and Mortain. King-consort Philip III devoted himself to the improvement of the laws of the country, and joined King Alfonso XI of Castile in battle against the Moors of 1343. After the death of his mother (1349), Charles II of Navarre assumed the reins of government (1349–87). He played an important part in the Hundred Years' War and in the French civil unrest of the time, and on account of his deceit and cruelty he received the surname of the Wicked. He gained and lost possessions in Normandy and, later in his reign, the Navarrese Company acquired island possessions in Greece. His eldest son, on the other hand, Charles III of Navarre, surnamed the Noble, gave the land once more a peaceful and happy government (1387-1425), exerted his strength to the utmost to lift the country from its degenerate condition, reformed the government, built canals, and made navigable the tributaries of the Ebro flowing through Navarre. As he outlived his legitimate sons, he was succeeded by his daughter Blanca (1425–42) and her husband John of Penafiel (1397–1479), son of king Ferdinand I of Aragon. As king-consort John II ruled Aragon in the name of his brother, Alfonso V of Aragon. He left his son, Don Carlos (Charles) of Viana, in Navarre, only with the rank of governor, whereas Blanca had designed that Charles of Viana should be king. In 1450, John II himself regained to Navarre, and, urged on by his ambitious second wife, Juana Enriquez of the illegitimate Castilian line, endeavoured to obtain the succession for their son Fernando (the future Ferdinand the Catholic). As a result a violent civil war broke out, in which the powerful party of the Agramontes supported the king and queen, and the party of the Beaumonts—called after their leader, the chancellor, John of Beaumont—espoused the cause of Charles; the highlands were on the side of the prince, the plains on that of the king. The unhappy prince was defeated by his father at Aybar, in 1451, and held a prisoner for two years, during which he wrote his famous Chronicle of Navarre, the source of our present knowledge of this subject. After his release, he sought in vain the assistance of King Charles VII of France and of his uncle Alfonso V (who resided in Naples). In 1460 he was again imprisoned at the instigation of his step-mother, but the Catalonians rose in revolt at this injustice, and he was again liberated and named governor of Catalonia. He died in 1461, without having been able to reconquer his kingdom of Navarre; he named as his heir his next sister Blanca, who was, however, immediately imprisoned by John II, and died in 1464. Her right was inherited by her sister Eleanor I of Navarre (Leonor), Countess of Foix and Béarn, who had been an ally of her father. After her death, which occurred very soon after that of John II, the claim to the throne of Navarre passed to her grandson, Francis Phoebus of Foix (who reigned over Navarre 1479–83). His sister Catherine I of Navarre, who, as a minor, remained under the guardianship of her mother, Madeleine of France, was sought by Ferdinand the Catholic as a bride for his eldest son; but she gave her hand in 1494 to the Jean d'Albret, count of Perigord, a man of vast possessions in the south of France, brother-in-law of Cesare Borgia. Castilian conquest Nevertheless, Ferdinand of Aragon did not relinquish his long-cherished designs on Navarre, and married secondly Germana (Germaine of Foix), the daughter of Catherine's uncle who had attempted to claim Navarre over his deceased elder brother's under-age children. When Navarre refused to join one of many Holy Leagues against France and declared itself neutral, Ferdinand asked the Pope to excommunicate Albret, which would have legitimised his attack. When the Pope refused, Ferdinand fabricated a false bull and sent his general Don Fabrique de Toledo to invade Navarre in 1512. Unable to face the powerful Castilian-Aragonese army, Jean d'Albret fled to Pau, and Pamplona, Estella, Olite, Sanguesa, and Tudela were captured. Some months later the legitimate King returned with an army recruited north of the Pyrenees and attacked Pamplona without success. After this failure, the Navarrese Cortes (Parliament) had to accept annexation to Castile, which agreed to keep Navarrese autonomy and identity. In 1513, the first Castilian viceroy took an oath to respect Navarrese law (fueros). Nevertheless, the Castilian occupation forces carried out a severe repression that forced many Navarrese into exile or even death. Most unfortunate were the formerly buoyant Jewish community of Navarre and also the Moriscos (Muslims) of Tudela, who became the main victims of the Spanish Inquisition. There were two more attempts at liberation in 1516 and 1521, both supported by popular rebellion, especially the second one. It was in 1521 that the Navarrese came closest to regaining their independence. As the liberation army commanded by General Asparros approached Pamplona, the citizens revolted and besieged the military governor, Iñigo de Loyola, in his newly built castle. Tudela and other cities also declared their loyalty to the House of Albret. The Navarrese-Bearnese army did manage to liberate all the Kingdom. But Asparros, overconfident, let the infantry get out of control and besieged Logroño, being finally defeated in the Battle of Noain, June 30 of 1521, by a much superior army. Nevertheless, in 1522, two hundred Navarrese revolted at Amaiur castle, Baztan, where a monolith now commemorates their heroism. That same year, an army of one thousand Navarrese took Hondarribia for some days. Navarre was a thalassocracy in its later existence and was involved in whaling, fishing, and beaver trapping in and around Newfoundland. Basque coastal exploration of the northern Atlantic coast of North America was extensive and outposts were present on the Newfoundland coast around or before the time of the New World arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492. 12 They continued to operate there as agents of the Spanish and French after losing their independence until France's 1762 loss of Newfoundland to the British in the French and Indian War. Independent Navarre north of the Pyrenees A small portion of Navarre north of the Pyrenees, Lower Navarre, along with the neighbouring Principality of Béarn survived as an independent kingdom which passed by inheritance. Navarre, received from Henry II of Navarre, the son of Jean d'Albret, a representative assembly, the clergy being represented by the bishops of Bayonne and Dax, their vicars-general, the parish priest of St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, and the priors of Saint-Palais, d'Utziat and Haramples. The area north of the Pyrenees (Lower Navarre) remained an independent kingdom with large additional French estates until 1620. Queen Jeanne III converted to Calvinism in 1556 and, consequently, promoted a translation of the Bible into Basque language, which is one of the first books published in this language. She and specially her son, Henry III of Navarre, led the Huguenot party in the French Wars of Religion. In 1589, Henry became the sole rightful claimant to the crown of France, though he was not recognized as such by many of his subjects until his conversion to Catholicism four years later. When Labourd and High Navarre were shaken by the Basque witch trials in 1609 and 1610, many sought refuge in Lower Navarre. Only in 1620 was Navarre fully incorporated to France. Later History The last independent king of Navarre, Henry III (reigned 1572–1610), succeeded to the throne of France as Henry IV in 1589, founding the Bourbon dynasty. In 1620, Lower Navarre and Béarn were incorporated into France proper by Henry's son, Louis XIII of France. The title of King of Navarre continued to be used by the Kings of France until the French Revolution in 1791, and was revived again during the Restoration, 1814–30. As the Kingdom of Navarre was originally organized, it was divided into merindades, districts governed by a merino ("mayorino"), the representative of the king. They were the "Ultrapuertos" (French Navarre), Pamplona, Estella, Tudela and Sangüesa. In 1407 the merindad of Olite was added. The Cortes of Navarre began as the king's council of churchmen and nobles, but in the course of the 14th century the burgesses were added. Their presence was due to the fact that the king had need of their co-operation to raise money by grants and aids, a development that was being paralleled in England. The Cortes henceforth consisted of the churchmen, the nobles and the representatives of twenty-seven (later thirty-eight) "good towns" — towns which were free of a feudal lord, and, therefore, held directly of the king. The independence of the burgesses was better secured in Navarre than in other parliaments of Spain by the constitutional rule which required the consent of a majority of each order to every act of the Cortes. Thus the burgesses could not be outvoted by the nobles and the Church, as they could be elsewhere. Even in the 18th century the Navarrese successfully resisted Bourbon attempts to establish custom houses on the French frontier, dividing French from Spanish Navarre. Yet the Navarrese were loyal to their Spanish sovereigns, and no part of the country offered a more determined or more skilful resistance to Napoleon. Navarre was staunchly Catholic and much under clerical influence. This, and the resentment felt at the loss of their autonomy when they were incorporated into Spain in 1833, account for the strong support given by many Navarrese to the Carlist cause. Until the French Revolution the kings of France carried the additional title king of Navarre. Since the rest of Navarre was in Spanish hands, the kings of Spain also carried (until 1833) the title king of Navarre. During that period Navarre enjoyed a special status within the Spanish monarchy; it had its own cortes, taxation system, and separate customs laws. In 1833, Navarre became the chief stronghold of the Carlists but recognized Isabella II as queen in 1839. As a reward for their loyalty in the Spanish Civil War, Franco allowed the Navarrese to maintain their ancient fueros, which were charters handed down by the crown outlining a system of self-government. Institutions The institutions of Navarre which maintained their autonomy until the 19th century included the Cortes, Royal Council, Supreme Court and Diputacion del Reino. Similar institutions existed in the Crown of Aragon (in Aragon, Catalonia and Valencia) until the 18th century. The Spanish monarch was represented by a viceroy. History of Pamplona (City) Taken from Wikipedia Foundation and Roman Times In the winter of 74-75 BC, the area served as a camp for the Roman general Pompey in the war against Sertorius. He is considered to be the founder of Pompaelo3, which became Pamplona. It is thought that it was the chief town of the Vascones, and they called it Iruña, 'the city'. Roman Pompaelo was located in the province of Hispania Tarraconensis, on the road from Burdigala (modern Bordeaux) to Asturica (modern Astorga); 4 it was a civitas stipendiaria in the jurisdiction of the conventus of Caesaraugusta (modern Zaragoza)5. Although it can not be considered one of the outstanding cities of Roman Hispania, recent archaeological excavations have revealed a quite high degree of development. Early Middle Ages After the fall of the Roman Empire and during the Visigothic period (fourth to eighth centuries), the Vascones lived independently, although it is likely that Visigoths controlled, maybe only intermittently, the fortified city of Pamplona. It is known also that several Pamplonese bishops attended the Councils of Toledo. During the eighth century, Moors and Franks intermittently controlled the city. The best-known episode of that obscure period was the destruction of the city walls by Charlemagne after his failed expedition to Zaragoza in 778. He was subsequently defeated in the famous battle of Roncesvalles. During the late eighth century, Pamplona and its area of influence oscillated between two powerful states but proved unable to secure permanently its rule over the Basque region. This alternation could reflect also the internal struggles of the Basque warrior nobility. Finally, in 824 Íñigo Arista was crowned as king of Pamplona. This kingdom strengthened its independence from the weakened Frankish empire and Cordoban emirate. Nevertheless, during this period Pamplona was not properly a city but just a kind of a fortress. Three burgos and One City From the 11th century reviving economic development allowed Pamplona to recover its urban life. The bishops of Pamplona recovered their ecclesiastical leading role; during the previous centuries isolated monasteries, especially Leyre, had actually hold the religious power. The pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela contributed a lot to revive the commercial and cultural exchanges with Christian Europe beyond the Pyrenees. In the 12th century, the city enlarged with two new separate burgos (independent municipalities): San Cernin and San Nicolás, in which the population of local Navarrese was swelled by French merchants and artisans. Old Pamplona and the new burgos were almost always engaged in quarrels among themselves. The most dramatic episode was the destruction of the Navarrería by the other two boroughs and the massacre of its population in 1276. Its site was abandoned for nearly fifty years. King Charles III decreed the unification of the boroughs in a single city in 1423. A Fortress-City After the annexation of Navarre to Spain (1512), Pamplona remained as capital of the autonomous kingdom of Navarre, which preserved its own institutions and laws. Pamplona acquired a key role in the military defence of the Pyrenees. The southern side of the city was the weaker and the Navarrese king built a castle in the early 14th century in the site that is known today as Plaza del Castillo (Castle Square). After the Castilian conquest, king Ferdinand V decreed in 1513 the demolition of the mediaeval castle and the building of a new one in a very close place. But the progress of the artillery demanded a complete renewal of the fortified system. King Philipp II ordered the building of a star fort in the southern side of the city and the modernization of all the walls. During the eighteenth century, Pamplona was considerably beautified and its urban services improved. It was established a continuous water supply and the streets were paved, among many other enhancements. Moreover, rich aristocrats and businessmen built their mansions. During the nineteenth century, this fortress-city played a key role in several wars in which Spain was involved. During Napoleonic Wars French troops occupied the city in 1808 and remained in it until 1813. During the Carlist Wars (1833-1839 and 1872-1876) Pamplona was every time controlled by the liberals, not just because the few liberals that lived in Navarre were mainly Pamploneses, but because the governmental control over the fortified city. Certainly, although Carlist rebels easily ruled the countryside, Government's Army had no problem in dominating the walled capital of Navarre. Nevertheless, during the last Carlist war, modern artillery operated by Carlists from surrounding mountains showed that the old walls would not be enough in front of a stronger enemy. Thus, the Government decided to build a fort on the top of mount San Cristóbal, just three kilometers north of Pamplona. Due to its military role, the city could not grow outside its walled belt. Furthermore, building in the closest area to the walls was banned to avoid any advantage for a besieger. Thus, the city only could grow increasing its housing density. Higher and narrower houses were built and courtyards disappeared gradually. During nineteenth century road transportation improved and the railway came in 1860. Nevertheless, industry in Pamplona as well as in Navarre as a whole was ever weak during the Industrial Revolution century. Anyway, no industrial development was feasible in such a constrained fortress-city. After that a little modification of the star fort allowed to a little expansion of just six blocks in 1888, First World War demonstrated that for modern war all the fortified system of Pamplona was already obsolete. In 1915, the Army allowed to destroy the walls and abolished the building ban in the city's surroundings. The southern side of the walls was destroyed and the other three remained as it did not hinder the urban growth. The star fort continued to serve as a military facility until 1964, but just as a garrison. Industrialisation and Modernisation Freed from its military function, Pamplona could lead the process of industrialisation and modernisation in which Navarre was involved during the twentieth century, especially during its second half. The urban growth (see Urbanism) has been accompanied by the development of industry and services. Population growth has been the effect of an intense immigration process during the 60s and 70s: from the Navarrese countryside, from other less developed regions of Spain, mainly Castile and León and Andalusia. Since the 90s the immigration is coming mainly from abroad. Pamplona is listed as a city with one of the best standards of living in Spainneeded. Its industry rate is higher than the national averageneeded, although it is menaced by delocalization. Crime rates are lower than the national average but cost of living, especially housing, is considerably higher. Thanks to its little size and an acceptable service of public transportation, there are not big problems of transit. Recent History Independance Since 2003 Pamplona has thrived as a city-state under the leadership of Conrad Kruschev and his party the Pamplona Progressive Party. Pamplona gained independance in 2004 after the Kruschevite Rebellion. It was quickly established economically and politically with a democratic government in place, and a solid military capable of strong defence. Fierro's Election Defeat Growing discontent among the populace of the city had been growing since 1999 with Sancho Fierro's disastrous economic reforms of Navarre, the resulted in mass debt among the populace and a huge rise in taxes. Defeated at the polls Fierro refused to resign himself to defeat and in a coup on the 8th January 2000 siezed power from the newly formed Progressive government which was headed by Kruschev. The January Coup Fierro installed himself as dictator of Navarre and the military initially supported his leadership as they had gained much needed funding from him which would have been cut by the Progressive government. However Fierro continued with his disastrous economic reforms and embezzled millions in public funds. When news of this reached the media the public and military were in uproar. They called for the Progressive Government to be re-instated and for democracy to resume. Fierro did not react well to this and had loyal troops open fire on demonstrators in the streets of Pamplona during August 2002. The year continued with a series of stand offs between Fierro's goons and demonstrators, the military refused to take any part in the events that were unfolding. The Kruschevite Rebellion However it wasn't until September that the demonstrators had any sort of political leadership. Kruschev had been exiled to Valencia since the coup and no-one had tried to contact him. But this changed when Diego Vasquez a young idealist Basque ran down the border guards ton the southern border and met with Kruschev. When he heard what had happened they contacted Commander Erik Stanton, the leader of the military and asked for his help in overthrowing Fierro. The military was starting to feel the strain, as Fierro demanded they intervene more regularly and as the troops wished to join the demonstrators. Stanton agreed to join Kruschev and the rebellion began. Stanton struck at the heart of Fierro's regime, in Pamplona itself. The fighting was short lived, Stanton had the support of the populace and a better equipped force than Fierro. It took three days for the fighting to end. By the time it was over Fierro had fled to Agoretta where he conducted his defence of Navarre. He rose a large loyalist force and prepared for a counter attack on Pamplona. Stanton brought Kruschev to Pamplona and there installed him as the President of Pamplona pending elections. The re-appearance of Kruschev boosted the morale of the city hugely, and Vasquez was called a hero for his part in Kruschev's return. In November after two months of fighting back Fierro's meager forces Stanton attacked Agoretta, and there succeeded in defeating Fierro's regime. Fierro himself was killed when his car was hit by a stray tank shell as he tried to escape. His forces then scattered into the countryside where they continue to resist Stanton's forces even now, although their resistance is petering out daily, as Stanton continues to drive them back. The Kruschevite Rebellion came to an end in May 2003 when elections were held electing Kruschev as the official President of the newly formed city-state of Pamplona. Vasquez took no government position however has a statue of himself in central Pamplona, next to statues of Stanton and Kruschev. The Reclaimation War The war of Reclaimation has been ongoing since May 2003. The war is more a series of skirmishes between Commander Stanton and the few remaining troops that are loyal to Fierro's collapsed regime. Massive headway is made daily but it shall be a long time until Navarre is restored. In the meantime its citizens live happily with an area of fierce fighting on their doorstep. The De Guerrero War The De Guerrero War started with the surprise attack made by De Guerrerro forces on the northern border of a then much smaller Pamplona, which succeeded in gaining some intial success as the military under Erik Stanton was mostly deployed in the south clearing out the Fierro forces in the area. The counter attack undertaken by Colonel Miguel Sanchez succeeded in significantly weakening the enemy attack thrust, however his forces were defeated in battle and forced to withdraw. When word reach Stanton he immediately contacted Kruschev who sent a reserve force to cover the southern border, allowing Stanton to move north with tanks to decisively defeat the De Guerrero forces. The swift defeat of the enemy forces gave Stanton heart and he merged his forces with Colonel Sanchez' and prepared for a counter attack. With solid air support bombing an incapable nation the military capability of De Guerrero was significantly weakened by the time the first counter attack struck De Guerrero succeeding in destroying much of its active military and conquering much of its land. The war continued until the 31st of October, when the De Guerrero government formally surrendered to the dominant forces of Pamplona, after s eries of horrific defeats. The Punta Del Este War The Punta Del Este War started on the 12th of January 2008 and was commenced by the rogue nation Punta Del Este. A surprise attack allong with bombing runs against an initially undefended Pamplona proved highly effective and vast amounts of infrastructure were destroyed, however Kruschev called upon his allies in the International Security and Commerce Organisation to aid the war effort and Rishnokof of Chingra sent a large aid package enabling the Pamplonan Government to quickly respond and rebolster its forces for a counter attack. Slowly at first the tide turned and by 14 January Pamplona was launching successful counter-attacks against Punta Del Este allong with firing a number of Cruise Missiles causing considerable damage to Punta Del Este. The war is ongoing and expected to end on the 19th of January. References